Singapore Cantonese Opera Meets Expectations
One of the most incredible performances I’ve ever seen took place at an international theatre festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. The performance was of a Cantonese Opera by a company from Singapore. This was about twelve years ago and I had never seen anything that came close to it since. Meanwhile, I’ve seen a lot of great Western theatre and I have a great deal of respect for performers, directors and playwrights, well everyone involved in the production. And perhaps it’s not fair to compare what I see in the United States to the Singapore company. I don’t mean to imply an inherent superiority, which I do not believe exits, I mean that at the basic level they are completely different genres, and perhaps I just prefer the other. Or, never having seen a production of Cantonese Opera by a traditional company before, I may have just been amazed by due to its newness to me.
So, three months ago, when I had the opportunity to go to Singapore on a business trip, I absolutely jumped at the possibility, because it meant that I would be able to see a production right there and in their own theatre. And that’s exactly what I did. The first night there we had something of a company dinner at one of the best Singapore hotels that lasted well into the evening hours. It wasn’t until the second night that I actually got a seat in a theatre. And it was just as I expected, absolutely amazing. The performers were incredible, and many of them study for years to be able to make the intricate and symbolic movements. It is extremely subtle yet also seems to be direct sometimes. There is an incredible harmony between movement, expression and music that completely touches me. And there is a ritualized attention to detail in all areas of the performance, from the costumes to the make up and also the set pieces. I wondered what it would be like to grow up with this art being part of my heritage and tradition for me. And while I have a tremendous amount of respect for the opera and the performers, I also realize that I have an equal amount of respect for other forms of performance and theatre. Cantonese Opera has a strong inspirational effect on me though.
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